Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs New Works in London

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater presented its New Works programme at Sadler’s Wells in London, featuring a variety of choreographic styles ranging from the spiritual to the introspective.

Medhi Walerski’s ‘Blink of an Eye’ was highlighted for its musicality and structural clarity. Set to Bach played by Itzhak Perlman, the piece utilizes a circular structure where dancers transition from solitary movements to pairs and eventually a full group. The choreography is noted for its fluent relationship with weight and floor work.

Other featured works included Lar Lubovitch’s ‘Many Angels’, set to Mahler’s Symphony No 5, which utilizes a cloudscape backdrop to create statuesque, sublime tableaux. Jamar Roberts’ ‘Song of the Anchorite’ explores an interior, monkish quest set to a jazzy arrangement of a Ravel adagio. The programme also included the company’s signature work, ‘Revelations’, which incorporates gospel energy and themes of salvation.